This one took a bit longer to get through than the first installment. I’ve got to say that while that may be the case, it’s certainly just as good as the first and that the fact that I found it a bit denser in it’s readability doesn’t count against it in the quality department.
What I enjoyed most about the book is the organic way in which plot threads were continued from the first installment. Author Karen Traviss seemingly knows exactly what the readers want from the characters for this go around and the introduction of Kal Skirata as a central figure is the prime example of that. He was such a major influence in the first book and yet never actually appeared. The fact that his portrayal in this book lives up to the legend and myth foreshadowed in “Hard Contact” is a testament to the caliber of writing that Traviss is putting into the narrative.

I certainly can’t wait for the third book, which I plan to start reading just as soon as I find myself with some spare time not occupied by school work.